Episodes
Friday Mar 16, 2018
ON BREATH
Friday Mar 16, 2018
Friday Mar 16, 2018
In this podcast I give a brief outline of breath disciplines described by Patanjali and Svatmarama and discuss their practicality and significance. I draw attention to the common tendency to manipulate the mind-body complex and endow the resultant effects with significance derived from received models of the human being and metaphysical narratives. I ask, 'how do these fit in with the fact that this is it?' [Free. 26 minutes.]
Friday Jun 23, 2017
YOGA AND THE FUTURE
Friday Jun 23, 2017
Friday Jun 23, 2017
In this podcast we discuss the future of Yoga both in a broad historical context and in the local UK context in which Yoga is being 'claimed' by the corporate fitness industry. The discussion naturally elides into a discussion of the potential roles that Yoga and Yoga practitioners should play in the unfolding of events as economic, cultural and ecological instabilities play out. We conclude that the fitness industry has to be strongly resisted by authentic yogis if Yoga is to be able to do its good work to maximum effect. An extended version of this talk was given at the IYN Yoga Festival on 2nd June 2017. [Free. 54 minutes.]
Friday Nov 11, 2016
YOGA'S COUNTER-CULTURAL ROOTS
Friday Nov 11, 2016
Friday Nov 11, 2016
In this podcast, we explore Yoga's counter-cultural roots in the ancient Saivite-Dionysian religion. [Free. 38 minutes.]
Saturday Oct 15, 2016
IS ADJUSTMENT OF YOGA POSTURES BY TEACHERS NECESSARY OR USEFUL?
Saturday Oct 15, 2016
Saturday Oct 15, 2016
In this podcast, we take issue with the sacred cow of 'adjustment' i.e. the practice on the part of some 'yoga teachers' of taking hold of a student's body during yoga posture (asana) practice in order to 'correct' it. [Free. 21 minutes.]
Monday Oct 10, 2016
ANUPAYA: PRACTICE WITH THE LIGHTEST TOUCH
Monday Oct 10, 2016
Monday Oct 10, 2016
This podcast is a short account of our approach to yoga practice which seeks to keep technique simple and minimal. [Free. 26 minutes.]
Saturday Oct 01, 2016
THE MYTH OF THE YOGA TEACHER
Saturday Oct 01, 2016
Saturday Oct 01, 2016
In this podcast, we examine some of the identifiable modes of yoga teaching. In particular, we talk about parroting, missionary activity, dominance games and meeting in openness. [Free. 22 minutes.]
Tuesday Sep 13, 2016
YOGA REGULATION? NO THANKS
Tuesday Sep 13, 2016
Tuesday Sep 13, 2016
This podcast addresses a situation current on planet Yoga in the UK and will be of special interest to UK Yoga teachers and teacher trainers. The situation I allude to is the decision made by a government licensed body [Skills Active] in conjunction with the British Wheel of Yoga to institute a 'National Occupational Standard' [NOS] for a Yoga teacher. This was attempted 12 years ago and didn't succeed, most likely because of considerable opposition from the Yoga Community. I give an outline of the history and the players in this mad game and then demonstrate that Yoga should not be regulated by any governmental agency or narrow interest. Rather, I contend, it is necessarily diverse and therefore beyond the scope of regulation. I then give an account of the Independent Yoga Network which was set up 12 years ago in the face of the first attempt at NOS to defend freedom and diversity and promote Yoga. [Free. 44 minutes.]
Sunday Sep 11, 2016
VIOLENCE, AHIMSA, SELF-STUDY
Sunday Sep 11, 2016
Sunday Sep 11, 2016
This is a bit of a ramble, starting with a general description of violence and non-violence and the various religious commandments to be non-violent. As always, we find ourselves with no choice but to return to considering suffering and flourishing, Buddha and Socrates. We then consider violence against the self which manifests as physical and psychological asceticism and tease out its nature. This leads to a fairly in-depth consideration of Patanjali's practice of ahimsa and Buddha's 'middle way' and how they wonderfully help to open up the yoga being state as well as illuminating the otherwise dark territories of violence as it operates within the psyche. [Free. 56 minutes.]
Tuesday Jun 21, 2016
LETTING BE [PART ONE]: INTRODUCTION TO WU WEI AND ISHVARAPRANIDHANA
Tuesday Jun 21, 2016
Tuesday Jun 21, 2016
This podcast introduces wu wei and ishvarapranidhana with a view to opening up future discussions on the matter of 'letting be' in life and meditation. 'Letting be' is not to be construed as fatalism or passivity. [Free. 19 minutes.]
Saturday Jun 11, 2016
INSPIRATION
Saturday Jun 11, 2016
Saturday Jun 11, 2016
In this podcast, we bounce off Nietzsche's account of his inspiration given in Ecce Homo (1888). This should be of interest to meditators, artists, yogis and other folks with time on their hands :) [Free. 28 minutes.]